Charmed By You
by gaysandcrime
Summary: Harry likes Percy, Percy likes Harry. Simple, right? Wrong. Although Harry and Percy like each other, and want to be together, it seems like the entire world is telling them no. Without the support of family or friends, how will they survive the struggles that lay before them?
1. Chapter 1

Harry sat alone inside the Three Broomsticks, sipping his butterbeer. He had left Ron and Hermione in the library at Hogwarts, telling them he was going for a walk to clear his mind. Harry grinned, looking out of the window beside his table. In reality, he had wanted to get away from them, so he could finally buy his Christmas gifts for everyone. He'd already owl ordered Hermione and Ron's gifts; a year-long subscription to the wizarding journal Potion's Monthly, and the newest Chudley Cannons merchandise. But he still had a whole gaggle of Weasley's to buy for, as well as his teachers and members of the Order...and a few more of his classmates. Actually, now that he thought about it...he had seen a pretty interesting plant in the window of the Apothecary, which would be perfect for Neville...

Humming to himself, Harry downed his butterbeer, left a couple of coins on the tabletop, and walked out into the snow. Wrapping his red and gold scarf around his neck, he walked over to the Apothecary to purchase the plant (something called a Fibular Distraughta) before moving on to purchase some Lemon Drops (for Dumbledore, obviously) and a pair of woolen socks (also for Dumbledore). Harry picked up a pair of atrocious tartan slippers (McGonagall would love them) and decided to stop by Zonko's to get some of their newest products (for the twins) and a really cool looking fire-proof bag (for Charlie). He bought a couple of rare books on curse breaking (hopefully Bill would like them because they were bloody expensive) as well as purchasing a huge basket full of colorful yarn, knitting, and crocheting needles, and different knitting and crocheting patterns (Molly would absolutely adore it). He'd already gotten Remus's gift, and as always, he picked out a suitably muggle thing for Arthur, along with an instruction manual (because the Weasley patriarch would undoubtedly need it). For Ginny, he hesitated over a beautiful silver hairpin, before deciding that it was too much like something a boyfriend would give to their girlfriend. In the end, Harry got her the new practice snitch, model 2.0.

When all that was done, Harry took a deep breath and blushed. There was only one more person to buy something for, and he'd been putting it off all day. Moving slowly towards the brightly lit store, Harry gulped. This was it. Charmed Chains. Stepping inside, he hurried towards the counter and looked at all the beautifully displayed pieces that sat there behind glass.

"Hello dear. Can I help you with anything, or are you just looking?" Harry looked up to see an elderly witch standing behind the counter, silvery-white hair in a long braid, and brown eyes looking kindly down at him. Harry smiled nervously at her, before licking his lips.

"Um, actually, I was wondering if I could pick up an order? Uh, the man that I spoke to before said it would be ready by today, umm..." He shrugged awkwardly. The witch smiled and nodded.

"Of course dear, come through to the back! We've been expecting you..." She led Harry into the back of the shop, where a man was sitting at a table, hunched over.

"He's here, Orwin. Go on, get up! Let the lad see what he's come all this way to get." The witch pushed the man's shoulder and nudged Harry closer to the desk. "Go on, dear, take a look."

Harry moved forwards and looked down. His eyes widened as he saw the beautiful silver chain, the links tiny and delicate. His gaze trailed over it until they came to rest on the charm at the end. He raised a hand and traced the dark blue heart. It was perfect, completely perfect. Clearing his throat, Harry turned towards the two shop owners and smiled. "It's beautiful, and exactly what I asked for. Thank you so much." They both smiled and nodded.

"Do you want it wrapped dear? I'm sure Orwin would be delighted to do that for you..."

Harry left Hogsmeade twenty minutes later, and many galleons lighter. He grinned as he made his way back to the castle, his gifts shrunken and stuffed in his pockets. He kept the small box with the necklace in his hand and looked down at it. Hopefully the person it was for would like it...hopefully, they would like him...

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey, Harry. You awake?"

Harry woke to see a pile of presents at the foot of his bed. Well actually, he woke up to see Ron's blurry face looming over his head.

"AAAH! Ron, what the hell?" Harry reached over to the side table for his glasses. He flailed around for them, finally grabbing the metal frames and shoving them on to his face. Blinking slowly, his eyes came into focus to see his friend's freckled nose inches from his own.

"Sorry mate. Merry Christmas, by the way. Just checking to see if you were still asleep. And now that you're not..." He grinned wryly and pointed at the presents.

Harry shook his head in exasperation. "Merry Christmas, Ron. Now get off my bed!" He shoved his best friend and sat up. Ron laughed and leaped onto his own bed, instantly digging into his pile of gifts. Harry snuggled into the blankets and looked over his own year since his 11 birthday, Harry had received presents on Christmas. And every year it felt just as special, like it was the first time. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the feeling of being cared for. He smiled at the brightly coloured wrapping paper and the boxes and bags, and reached forwards for his first gift.

"Oh! Cool! Fred 'n George got me their new prank kit!" Ron's voice came from the other bed, and Harry laughed when he looked over. The unmade bed and its surrounding floor were currently covered in scraps of wrapping paper from the gifts Ron had already torn open.

"Wonder what they got me." He said, before looking down at the gift in his hands. It was labeled in neat cursive, undoubtedly Hermione. The package was medium sized and rather heavy; definitely not a book, then. He slowly, painstakingly unwrapped it, making sure the paper wasn't too torn. Looking at it once it was unveiled, Harry /It was the newest set of Quidditch gear, and Harry was already anticipating the next Quidditch game after the winter break.

He proceeded with the same care for all of his gifts. He got a box of chocolate frogs from Ginny, a new woolen jumper from Mrs. Weasley; this time in dark green, with a golden H. Charlie's gift was a pair of dragon hide Quidditch gloves, and Ron and Bill had pooled their money together to get him one of the new Disguise Rings. Brilliant, now he could sneak around the castle at night any time he wanted, and no one would know it was him! He laughed when he opened his gift from the twins -they'd given him a package of Insta Answer Quills, that would absolutely come in handy during Potions- and a box that can only be opened by its owner.

"That was thoughtful of them." He said to himself, placing his gifts into the box one by one.

"What was that, Harry?" Ron asked, pulling on his new maroon jumper and wincing. The bright blue R that was on the front made the maroon all the more prominent. Harry grinned.

"Nothing. Love the maroon, though. It really is your colour."

"Oh, shut it. Better get yours on, or Mum'll blow a fuse at breakfast." Harry snorted and reached for the jumper he had left folded up at the bottom of his bed.

"Boys! Breakfast is ready!" Mrs. Weasley's voice came from down stairs, and Ron jumped down from his bed. He hastily threw his covers up, as pathetic an attempt at making his bed as always.

"See ya down there, then." He said. Harry stood up and nodded.

"Save me a seat, I'll be down in a moment." He pulled the green jumper over his head and waited until he could no longer hear Ron's blundering footsteps on the stairs, before carefully taking his neat pile of perfectly folded wrapping paper and placing it in his box from the twins. Ron wouldn't understand the need to do this, Harry thought. He's had love and family his whole life, and yeah, he knows I haven't, but still. The Weasley's are my family, but they won't be around forever; I need the memories. The love. Harry sighed, shoving the melancholy thoughts from his mind and placed his box on the ground, pushing it under his definitely-neater-than-Ron's bed. He was about to stand up, when a little red box on the ground by his side table caught his eye. He reached over and picked it up, turning it over to see the 'Merry Christmas Harry' that was written on it in beautiful golden cursive, and Harry traced the letters with his finger. Opening the small box, Harry's eyes widened, and he froze in shock. There, resting within the box on a small foam pad, lay a small silver bracelet. Attached to the delicate chain were small, sparkling charms.

Each was a tiny lion in a different position, and each lion had different coloured eyes. One had red eyes, another blue. There were yellow and purple and even black. But one section of the bracelet was bare; a charm was missing. Harry gazed at the bracelet, before checking the box again for some hint as to who might have sent it.

There was nothing, nothing to indicate who the sender might be, but Harry wasn't worried. He knew that the Burrow had wards surrounding it, nothing threatening could get in, no one could send him a harmful present. He slowly stood up, the delicate silver chain in his hand, and he heard a voice call up to him.

"Oi, Harry! Get down here! Mum wants to see you in your jumper!" Fred's voice -or was that George's?- reached his ears, and Harry jumped slightly.

"Coming, be there in a second!" He called down, grabbing his wand and sticking it into his pocket, before stepping out of the room and walking down the stairs.

Upon entering the kitchen, a chorus of "Merry Christmas"'s washed over him, and he grinned widely.

"Merry Christmas everybody. Sorry I'm late, Ron doesn't know how to clean up after himself. There was paper everywhere." Harry sat down at the table as he said this, and Ginny snorted.

"Hey!" Ron's protest was drowned out by Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"Merry Christmas, Harry dear. And my, doesn't that jumper look lovely on you? See Arthur," Molly said, turning towards her husband who was standing beside her. "I told you green was the right colour. Now Harry," Molly turned back to him and smiled. "You're awfully thin dear, so best dig in, before Ron eats all the bacon!"

Everyone chuckled as Ron, who was in the middle of stuffing a large piece of bacon into his mouth, flushed bright red. Harry grinned at his friend, sipping his pumpkin juice and grabbing some bacon from the platter in front of him. As he was piling bacon on his plate, he turned to his left to ask Ron if he could help him put the bracelet on, but found his best friend too busy stuffing his face to be able to help. Turning right, he smiled at George -or was it Fred? Nope, the jumper had a G on it- and asked him, "George, can I ask you a favour?"

The redhead smiled and winked. "I'm actually Fred; we switched sweaters as soon as we got 'em. But yeah, whadd'ya need?" Harry snorted. Classic twins.

He placed his right wrist onto the table and showed Fred the charm bracelet. "I need some help putting this on. It's really hard to do with one hand." Fred smirked and picked it up.

"Sure thing, Harry. If you don't mind me asking, who's giving you jewelry? Got yourself a girl we don't know about?" He grinned, snapping the clasp closed, and Harry blushed.

"Actually, err...no. I don't know who gave it to me, it didn't come with a note...but I rather like it." He lifted his wrist up and watched the charms glint in the light. The colourful gems caught Ginny's eye, and she looked up at it, a look of surprise flashing quickly across her face. That bracelet...hadn't she seen it somewhere before? Yes, she had...hmmm. Interesting. She looked at it for a moment longer, before turning to the messy-haired brunette across from her.

"Oh, that's lovely, Harry." Harry smiled at her, not seeing the knowing look in her eyes, before lifting up a piece of bacon.

"Thanks, Gin."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Christmas at the Burrow was the same as it always was; loud, boisterous, and full of great food. Harry was surrounded by the people he loved, minus Hermione, who was at her parent's house still. But he would see her tomorrow when they all arrived back at Hogwarts, so she wasn't missed too much.

In fact, the only person who was really missing was Percy. Harry looked around, frowning. Percy hadn't been there at all. Not in the morning, for breakfast. Not during the day, when they all messed around with their new things; and not now, for dinner. Harry wondered where he could be, but just as he was about to ask someone, Remus walked in.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!"

"Remus!" He said, jumping up to wrap his arms around the man in a tight hug.

Remus laughed, before hugging him back. "Hello, Harry. Merry Christmas."/p

Harry pulled back and grinned up at him. "Did you get my gift? I made sure Hedwig knew exactly where to bring it." Remus grinned back, before reaching into his robe pocket and pulling out the muggle t-shirt and holding it up. It had a picture of the full moon and a dark wolf on it, and the hashtag #TeamWolf on it in dark red.

"Oh, I got it all right. Honestly, Harry, you should have seen Severus' face when I wore it to breakfast this morning..." Remus rolled his eyes.

Harry laughed as he tried to picture what Snape's face must have looked like. "Oh god, I can't even imagine. And? The other part?" Harry smirked slightly. "The pants? The trousers?"

"Yes, Harry, I got the trousers, and the pants. Don't you think the pawprints were overkill?"

Harry giggled and shook his head. Remus raised a single eyebrow in amusement.

"No? What about the claw marks then, hmmm? And really, #TeamWolf..." Remus shook his head slightly, as Harry's giggles grew louder.

He took a deep breath and stood up straight. "I know it's a bit...obvious, Remus, but...As I said in my note, they're made of this muggle fabric that is really, really stretchy. So, I just thought that, you know...during your transformations..." Harry shrugged.

Remus's blinked slowly, and he cleared his throat. "Yes, I um, I read your note. Thank you, Harry. I'm very grateful, it's an incredibly thoughtful gift." He cleared his throat again, before turning towards Molly and Arthur.

"Molly, Arthur. Lovely to see you, thank you for having me." He said, before Mrs. Weasley crushed his thin frame in a hug.

"Of course dear, it's Christmas! We love having you, so why don't you come sit over here by Bill...There you go. And make sure you eat, you're as thin as a wand! There's enough for everyone, so don't worry about taking seconds..." Remus smiled as he sat down beside the eldest Weasley child, listening to Molly ramble on.

Harry also sat back down to eat, watching everyone's happy faces. Remus had been the last to show up, making it a party of 15; 8 Weasley's, Harry, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Tonks, Charlie's boyfriend Michael, Bill's fiance Fleur, and now Remus. Once again, the thought that there should be 16 to their party, and 9 Weasley's in all, crossed Harry's mind. He frowned into his glass of juice. He'd honestly thought Percy would have been here by now. And even though no one else seemed to be missing him, Harry could openly admit that he was. He most definitely was. But, since no one else was questioning the redhead's absence, Harry kept his questions to himself. He didn't want to cause any trouble, or bring up what could possibly be an awkward topic. It wasn't until much later, after picking halfheartedly at his dessert despite it being his favourite (treacle tart), that Harry let himself inquire as to the whereabouts of the missing Weasley child.

"Where's Percy?" He asked Ron, as they were walking up the stairs to bed. Ron made a face and shrugged.

"I dunno. Guess he's back at Hogwarts; him and dad had a row, the night you showed up...actually, just before you got here. He just left. Guess he's still angry." Harry was shocked. A fight at Christmas? About what? How could Ron be so flippant? Percy was his brother. I mean sure, Percy didn't always get along with his siblings, or his father. But that didn't mean he shouldn't be there for Christmas! Harry fumed silently.

"...Things must be pretty bad, if he didn't come home for the hols. Did...did anyone check to see if he was alright?" Harry pulled off his jumper and slid into bed, turning to face Ron's side of the room, eyebrow raised slightly. Ron was already under the blankets, and he looked back at Harry.

"Dunno, mate. I reckon he's alright though, else he would have owled. Knowing Percy, he's probably studying for his exams right now; the stuck up prat." Ron snorted and turned off the light before flipping over to face the wall. "Night, Harry." His voice was muffled by the thick quilt and pillow, but Harry could still make out the words. He scowled openly at Ron's back for a moment, before sighing.

"Night, Ron." He said distractedly. His mind was still on Percy being alone at Christmas, something Harry was far too familiar with. Something Harry knew a person feel terrible, as if no one cared about them. 'How could Ron be so casual about it? So...so rude? And how could no one say anything, or even check on him? He's their family, for Merlin's sake!' No one with such a loving family should have to spend the Christmas hols alone; and yet, it was this loving family who had created the problem in the first place. Harry sighed and turned over onto his back, trying to get comfortable. He thought of the redhead, always kind to him, always helpful, and felt like crying.

'How can they do this? How can they act like nothing is wrong, like no one is missing?' Harry stared at the white ceiling above like it held the answers. But it didn't, and no matter how hard he looked, it never would. He thought about his new box, filled with carefully folded wrapping paper, and sighed. That is the sort of thing that spending Christmas alone does to someone. Makes you think no one cares, makes you feel like happiness is only borrowed, love has a time limit. It makes you feel...cold. Cold and empty, like an abandoned building. Harry shivered and wrapped the blankets tighter around himself. He'd make sure to give Percy his gift when they all went back to Hogwarts tomorrow. He'd make sure he knew he'd been missed, that at least someone had remembered him. His mind wandered, filled with thoughts of the older red headed boy, until he finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Harry! Time to go, Dad's got the car out front!" Ron's voice flew up the stairs, before the sound of the door slamming shut rang out in the air. Harry took one final look around, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything, before nodding once and grabbing Hedwig's cage. He stood in front of his packed trunk, box of presents tucked under his arm and wand safely placed into his jean pocket. His attention was caught by the glittering charm bracelet on his wrist, and he smiled. He still didn't know who had given it to him, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was one of the nicest things he'd ever received.

"Umm, Hey, Harry."

Harry jumped slightly at the soft greeting and turned around to see Ginny Weasley standing in the doorway to the bedroom. He smiled a little, nodding in her direction before grabbing his trunk in his free hand and hauling it up. "Hey, Ginny. You all ready?"

She smiled back and nodded once. "Yeah, I've been packed for days. Um, I was wondering if you had a minute? I wanted to talk to you about something." She fidgeted where she stood, clearly uncomfortable and nervous.

Harry frowned, "Uh, yeah, sure." He placed his trunk back down and moved to sit on the top of his perfectly made bed. Patting the place beside him, he waited for the red-head to sit down before asking, "So, what did you want to talk about?" He waited patiently for her answer, but she said nothing for a few long minutes.

He watched Ginny glance at him from the corner of her eye, and his frown deepened. "You know you can look at me. I'm not gonna bite. Whatever you want to talk about can't be that bad."

She winced and took a deep breath, turning to face him properly. "Okay, thanks. It's just that… it's sort of a personal thing, and I don't..." she trailed off, and Harry, fed up and slightly amused at her awkwardness, stood up.

"You know, why don't we talk about this later, I'll just—,"

Ginny cut him off. "Are you gay?"

Harry froze. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing came out. What?

"What?"

Ginny sighed and stood up, coming over to stand near him. "Look, I just thought… I thought that maybe you were, because of what you got for… but no, that doesn't matter, it's just… never mind, I'll see you on the train." She shook her head and stepped out of the room, on her way out to the car.

A few seconds later, Harry sprang into action and ran out into the hall, calling after her, "Wait! Ginny!" He was running so fast that when he turned the hallway corner, he ended up crashing straight into her. Before either of them could fall though, he steadied them, his brain focused still on her previous words. "Why do you think I'm gay?"

The young girl shook her head, brushing herself off as she replied, "It doesn't matter, Harry."

"No, please. I want to know."

Ginny sighed, before leaning against the wall. "Okay, well… I saw you, at the jewelry store? Buying a necklace? And I thought that maybe it was for me, or something, because everyone said that you liked me. So, I thought that you were going to give it to me for Christmas, right? Only you didn't, and you gave Hermione that subscription, so it must've been for someone else. And, well, the only person who wasn't here to get a gift was…well, Percy." She glanced everywhere but him, trying her hardest not to make eye contact.

Harry stood there, mind racing, trying to understand what she had just said and how to best reply. "I… I'm sorry Ginny, that you spent all that time thinking it was for you." He finally managed to get out, his face feeling hot with embarrassment.

She shook her head, finally meeting his gaze, and he was surprised to see amusement in her eyes. "Nah, it's fine. I basically spent the entire time trying to find a way to tell you that I wasn't interested in you… that way." She made a face, tongue sticking out slightly, before laughing.

Harry laughed along with her, and he finally relaxed. "Well, that's good. But yeah… you were right, it is for Percy. Umm…" Suddenly, he was anxious; sure, she didn't have a crush on him, but… she knew he was gay. Was she okay with it? Did she hate him now? Think it was unnatural? He gulped, hoping everything would be fine, but fearing the worst.

Ginny saw the fear on his face, and immediately understood. She shook her head empathetically, reaching out to grasp his arm. "No, no Harry, don't worry. I'm fine, so you like boys, so what? It's all fine, seriously." She smiled up at him, and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding in.

"Thanks, Ginny. That means a lot." They smiled at each other.

"Harry! Ginny! Time to go!" They both jolted slightly at the sound of Ron's voice, before laughing and retreating to their separate rooms to grab their trunks, making their way down the stairs and out to the car. Harry and Ginny shared a smile as they piled into the car, and Harry felt a tiny bit of the anxiety he had been carrying around with him for the past few months disappear. Knowing he had someone on his side, someone who accepted his choices, made everything seem just a little bit brighter, and he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he stared out the car window as they made their way to the train station.

 **oOoOoOoOoOo**

The train ride went without a hitch, and Harry and Ron arrived at the front of Hogwarts with smiles on their faces as they greeted the last addition to their Trio.

"Hey, Harry! Merry Christmas!" Hermione ran up and hugged him tightly. Harry smiled and hugged her back.

"Merry Christmas, 'Mione. Thanks for the gift, I can't wait to get to use it." She grinned at him, before looking at Ron and smiling shyly.

"Hello, Ronald." Ron blushed.

"Hey, 'Mione. Did you get my gift?" Hermione blushed and nodded, glancing up through her lashes bashfully. Harry looked between the two of them, confused.

"Huh? What did he get you?" He asked, and Hermione beamed before pulling a long golden chain out from the high neckline of her sweater. Attached to it was a miniature golden time turner, with the letters R + H engraved in the metal. Harry whistled under his breath, before patting his best friend on the back.

"Congratulations, mate! You finally made your move. And it really is lovely, Hermione." She grinned at him, before grabbing Ron's hand and dragging him away, chattering on about the newest set of charms books Madame Pince had gotten for the library. Ron sent him a slightly helpless, but overall happy look over his shoulder and Harry grinned.

* * *

Harry said a quick "Hello" and "Merry Christmas" to the Fat Lady, muttered the password "Fibblegrass," and stepped into the Gryffindor common room. It was completely empty, as most students were either in the Great Hall or still at home with their families. Most of his friends wouldn't be arriving until late tomorrow, and Harry was grateful. Despite how much he loved his friends, he enjoyed just spending time alone in the castle; something he hadn't gotten to do very much in the past few years. All of his spare time was taken up either plotting, doing homework, or practicing Quidditch.

Harry's mind wandered to the first time he had seen the castle, and how at the end of first year, he had asked if he could stay there for summer. Hogwarts was his home, and as much as he loved the Weasley's, it always would be. His wistful, nostalgic thoughts were interrupted by the clearing of a throat, and Harry turned around to see Percy standing behind him.

"Do you mind if I, ah...join you?" Percy gestured towards the comfy chair across from Harry's. Harry shook his head and smiled at the older boy.

"No, that's fine. I was actually about to come find you. Merry Christmas, Percy. I hope the hols weren't too rough on you." He said, giving him a sympathetic look of understanding. Percy nodded and smiled sadly.

"Thanks, Harry. You're the first person to wish me a Merry Christmas actually; other than Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall of course. Merry Christmas to you too." He crossed his legs and turned slightly to face the blazing fireplace; the flames turned his already ginger hair an enchanting shade of red, which Harry couldn't seem to take his eyes off of.

"I heard about what happened from Ron; frankly, I think they're acting absolutely horrid. Daft pricks, the lot of 'em." Percy turned to face him, a look of shock on his face.

"Really? You do? You don't think I'm the one acting awful? Cause that's what Mum and the rest of them say; not that they're actually willing to talk to me." Harry nodded vigorously, before pulling out a small wrapped package from his robe pocket.

"I do," he said as sincerely as he could, before shifting nervously in his seat. Percy stared at the package curiously. "I got you a gift, for Christmas...uhh, but since I couldn't give it to you yesterday, I err...brought it here. So, yeah. Here you go then." He mumbled nervously, before quickly stumbling forwards and dropping the gift onto Percy's lap. He tugged at the neck of his sweater; the room felt incredibly hot, all of a sudden.

Harry took a small step back and watched Percy as he tentatively began opening the gift. "You know, Harry, you really didn't have to get me anything. I didn't get you anything, and now I feel awf—"

Harry cut him off. "Yeah, you did. You got me this charm bracelet, and I know it was you, cause you're the only person who knows I like jewelry. Remember that one time in Charmed Chains? You're the only person who I've ever told." Percy stared up at him in surprise, his mouth forming a small 'o'. After a moment, though, a smile emerged, and he nodded.

"Okay, you're right. I didn't think you'd figure it out; didn't think you'd remember." Percy grinned.

Harry smiled. "Of course I remember." He said softly, before forcing his eyes away from the grinning face in front of him. He stared at the fire and said quietly, "Are you going to open it, then?" And made a vague gesture at the still half wrapped present in Percy's hands.

The Head Boy startled slightly, but once again started to unwrap the box with deft fingers. Harry watched as he took the still mostly intact wrapping paper, and folded it neatly. He held it out to Harry, who stood still in shock.

"H-how did you know?" He whispered as he stared at the small square of folded paper wing offered to him. Percy smiled and shrugged.

"I noticed you doing it that first Christmas you spent with us; I don't know exactly why, of course, but I can guess. I've done it, almost unconsciously, ever since." Harry reached out a tentative hand to take the paper, finally meeting the other boy's eyes. Percy's blue eyes conveyed understanding, but search as he might, Harry found absolutely none of the pity he expected.

"Thank you." He said quietly, before taking the paper gently in his hands. He stood back and stared intently at Percy's face for his initial reaction to Harry's present. What he saw there made him smile.

"Harry," came the redhead's voice, before he felt hands around his waist and hair tickling his neck. "Thank you." Came the muffled reply, and he grinned into Percy's freckled shoulder.

"You're welcome." Harry felt the arms around him tighten before Percy stepped back.

He looked shyly up at Harry, his voice nervous as he asked, "Could you...I mean, do you mind helping me put it on?" Blue eyes bore intensely into green, and Harry nodded. Wordlessly, he lifted the silver chain from Percy's hand and reached around his neck to secure the tiny clasp at the back. His eyes never left Percy's, and when the clasp was shut, he left his arms around the taller boys neck. A single blue gem, in the shape of a heart, dangled between their bodies. The blue matched Percy's eyes. Percy's right hand came up and he ran a finger over Harry's back, before holding his waist gently and leaning down. Harry shut his eyes and tilted his head upwards slightly to meet the other boys lips.

The kiss was chaste and gentle; incredibly gentle. Harry ran a hand through Percy's fiery hair, and he felt the other boy smile against his lips before moving back a tiny bit. Harry sighed quietly and opened his eyes slowly. Their cheeks were both flushed, and they had ridiculous grins on their faces.

"I have something for you, too," Percy said, and pulled out a tiny silver lion charm from his pocket. Harry's grin widened when he saw it; it had green crystal eyes.

"Is that the missing charm?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Percy nodded and reached out for Harry's hand gently. He held it, palm upwards, in his own. Taking his wand, Percy placed the little silver charm in the open spot on the chain and tapped it, binding it instantly to the metal links. He placed his wand back in his pocket before lifting Harry's hand and linking their fingers. Harry blushed and smiled shyly at Percy, before moving their linked hands into the light of the blazing fire.

The red light bounced off of the glittering metal and shone through the crystals, sending rainbows of colour to every corner of the room. Harry's breath caught in his throat, and he turned quickly to bury his face in Percy's chest. "It's beautiful." He mumbled and heard Percy chuckle into his hair.

"The colour reminded me of your eyes; I was originally planning on giving it to you with the bracelet, but when I realized you may never know who it was from, well...I couldn't let it go." Harry's heart pounded in his chest and he felt warm all over. And he knew without a doubt, it wasn't caused by the fire.

 **oOoOoOoOo**

Ginny Weasley stood inside of the doorway of the common room and smiled. Lit by a slowly dying fire were two people she knew had had it rough. Harry for obvious reasons, and Percy...well. She sighed and stepped forwards quietly, not wanting to wake the two sleeping boys. She sat down in a comfy chair next to the fire and stared at the flames. Yes, Percy could be a bit of a neat freak and had a very specific way of doing things, but those were quirks. He was still a Weasley, just like the rest of them, and more so, he was still the same boy who had played with her and Ron when they had been especially young. The same boy who had taken care of her when her parents had gone with her other brothers to visit their Great Aunt. The same boy who had comforted her after the whole terrifying debacle in the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny shuddered at the thoughts of that whole entire nightmare. If it hadn't been for Percy, she would never have gotten through the aftermath of it.

The fact that her family had decided Percy wasn't good enough for them truly baffled her. As far as Ginny was concerned, he was the best of the lot. Sure, he wasn't as funny as the twins, or as charming as Charlie, or as formidable as Bill, or even as endearing as Ron. But he was kind and generous, and more than that, he cared so much about all of them. He cared enough to try his hardest in school so that he could get a good Ministry job to help support the family. Even though, ever since Ginny could remember, he had wanted to teach in a school instead.

But he was so caring that he was willing to give up on his dream, in order to make sure his family would be happy. And how did they repay him? By telling him he wasn't good enough and kicking him out at Christmas. Oh sure, Ginny knew no one had actually said those words to him. But it had amounted to the same thing, and so Percy had left the Burrow and come back here to Hogwarts for Christmas. As she sat there and thought about how terrible her family was treating her brother, she heard a commotion just outside the portrait hole, and as she turned she watched it swing open to reveal Hermione and Ron.

"But Hermione, I'll do it tomorrow!"

"No, Ronald, there's no point in putting it off. Besides, if you do you know you'll never get it done."

"But Harry hasn't fini -" He cut himself off abruptly when he caught sight of his brother on the couch. He scowled. "What's Percy doing here?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, where the hell else is he supposed to be? Dad kicked him out at Christmas, where else would he have gone?" She huffed in irritation and turned back towards the fire, intent on ignoring Ron.

Hermione gasped. "Your dad kicked him out? At Christmas? Oh, that's terrible!"

Ron shrugged, the scowl still on his face. "Nah, he deserved it, the prat. Told dad he was gonna work at the Ministry, right? And dad said he would put in a good word for him for his department. But noooo," Here Ron's scowl deepened and as he and Hermione stepped forwards, he reached over and smacked his brother on the back of the head. "Said he'd rather work in the Department of Law, like Dad's job isn't good enough for him or something. Like he was too good for Dad, and the rest of us." He began walking towards the dormitories, hand still holding Hermione's tight.

"But Ronald, I'm sure he didn't mean it like that-"

"He's a fucking ponce, Hermione. He's a bloody fairy, and to think I slept in the same house as him! And of course he meant it like that, the poof, he's always thought he was too good for us."

Ginny jumped up, her own scowl on her face. "You take that back, Ron Weasley! You know very well that is not what Percy meant!" But Ron just kept walking. Ginny sat back down, nearly vibrating with anger and indignation, but her scowl disappeared when she saw Percy's eyes open.

"Oh God, Perce, I'm so sorry. Ron's such an arse sometimes, I don't think he means it."

"It's fine Ginny, he's just repeating what the twins say. Thank you for standing up for me, I appreciate it." He smiled at her, and Ginny flung herself across the seating area, her arms around his neck as she said, "Merry Christmas, Perce. And I'm so sorry about everything." Her voice was muffled against his shoulder, but he could still make out the words, and they warmed his heart.

"Thanks, Gin. I'm glad at least somebody is on my side. I just don't understand how Mum and Dad can think I'm trying to undermine Dad's position at the Ministry! I just want to help, Mum has it so hard and Dad keeps getting his budget cut, and no one else is helping..." He sighed into her hair, trying his best to keep his tears at bay. He'd always been a bit at odds with his brothers, they'd always thought him a bit strange, a bit stuck up, a bit of a 'teacher's pet'. But being at odds with his parents? That was new. And immensely more painful, especially when he was trying so hard to be what they wanted, what they needed, and was giving up on his own dreams to do so.

"Yeah, I know. But don't worry, I'm sure they'll come around. Just give them time, yeah?" Ginny pulled back and smiled softly up at her big brother. She watched as Percy nodded, and as he did, the light from the dying fire caught on the blue heart on the chain around his neck. She grinned when she caught sight of it and cast a covert look at the still sleeping Harry beside them. "So, Perce. I see Harry gave you his gift finally. And am I right in assuming you're the one who got him that charm bracelet, hmm?" She raised an eyebrow at him, and he blushed.

"I..well, that is to say..." He stuttered, obviously trying to come up with something to say, and failing.

Ginny giggled. "Oh, don't worry, I already know. And Percy, trust me; it's okay. It's all fine." She watched the apprehension disappear from his eyes as he looked down at her.

"Really?"

She nodded. "Really. I'm happy for you, to be honest. You both deserve someone who can make you happy, especially after everything that's happened recently. I'm glad you can be that for each other."

They both turned slightly to look at Harry, and a soft smile found its way onto the older redhead's face.

"Yeah, me too, Ginny. Me too."


End file.
